Lots of people have read Kathryn Soper’s excellent article on teaching sexuality to the youth (particularly the young women) in the last few days. In fact, it’s the highest-viewed article at Patheos in the last week, in spite of being posted on Wednesday.
Several blogs have posted their own responses or lengthy comments, and I think those are worth linking to. I’ll update this as more links appear in our googleanalytics page. [Read more...]
Other than tradition that Jonah is historical, there is the New Testament argument. This argument is fairly common and made by non-LDS as well as LDS, but on examination, I think it’s insufficient to prove what its proponents claim. This also applies, by the way, to Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt (Luke 17:32), and Job (D&C 121:10).
What’s really at stake here? Not much, I think, but perhaps an opportunity to break down a wall. Most often, I’ve seen the New Testament argument used in such a way to accuse those in the non-historical camp of lack of faith, either in God’s power, Jesus, or the scriptures. I fully believe in all three of those , but I’m also of the opinion that Jonah was meant as a didactic Israelite parable. I also affirm that Jonah is true (see my Jonah podcast) I’ll take the Institute manual (and secondarily then-Elder Joseph Fielding Smith) as my example. “That Jonah’s story is a true one, and not an allegory as some scholars maintain, is evidenced by 2 Kings 14:25 and three New Testament references.” [Read more...]
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Openining clip: Loreena McKennit, “Marco Polo.”
Transcript (I ad libbed a bit more this time.)
Notes and references: [Read more...]
The Church is moving pretty quickly on new tech. New LDS.org with snazzy maps and picture uploading. New LEED-certified meetinghouses. But I want an “iPulpit” 
This is a real product from Little Mountain Productions, and they call it the iPodium. I don’t care so much what it’s called. iWantOne (but don’t even own an iPad and probably won’t for the foreseeable future.) I could give my talk AND control some nice overheads onto the screen behind me at Church. Seriously, if we can have visuals in General Conference, why not Sacrament Meeting? (HT to Andrew on the Logos forums.)
What kind of technology would you like to see embraced by the Church? What do you think might actually happen 5-10 years down the road?
The LDS church, if you’re new to its intricacies, has a series of programs set up for children and youth to participate in and advance through. For the boys, this is Boy Scouts. For the girls, this is Achievement Days for the 8-11 year-olds and Personal Progress for the teens.
This year, a new Personal Progress book was released with a smattering of updates. I believe that the awards were even upped a notch. Whereas before, a young woman received a necklace medallion for completing various steps in the progress, now she can add on a worker-bee pendant as well!
The book is also notably, drastically, pink. And this pinkness is actually an important part of the program…apparently. At its release, President Elaine Dalton made a point of it when she said, “The new Personal Progress book is pink! [well, yes it is!] It is a reminder that you are a daughter of our Heavenly Father and have unique feminine characteristics, gifts, and roles.”
Of course, this quote sure got a whole heck of a lot of attention when it first appeared–what with all its hints at gender essentialism. Caused quite a flurry, actually.
But, most of this discussion centered around whether actual, troops-on-the-ground young women in the church actually believed any of it. Did young women buy into the pinkness campaign? Did young women see themselves as pink, soft, and feminine? Would this pink-push alienate young women who felt, well, more like a “chartruse” kind of gal?
No one really, definitively could say. [Read more...]
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